Seat.



F. H. GULLEN SEAT.

APPLICATION PILE D APR. 7, 1906.

PATENTED APRQZS, 190s.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. OULLEN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEAT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I, FRANK H. CULLEN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seats, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to t e accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to certain new and useful im rovements in seats, and the invention re ates more particularly to a seat of a hopper or bowl used in toilet rooms and lavatories.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of novel means for preventing a wooden seat from splitting or cracking. To this end, I have devised a peripheral binding element which is adapted to compress the edges of a seat especially'transversely of the grain of the seat and prevent the seat from splitting or cracking. The binding element which I employ consists of a wire, rod, or its equivalent, which is bound upon the edges of the seat, the ends of the wire or rod being adjustably connected together, whereby the tension upon the rod or wire can be increased at any time desired.

A particular feature of my invention resides in the novel manner in which I provide a seat with a peripheral binding element. In order that the seat may have its natural appearance, the wire or rod which surrounds the edges of the seat is embedded within the Wood or material from which the seat is formed, and is in this manner unexposed and invisible.

The detail construction entering into my invention, will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and referring to the drawing accompanying this application, like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in whic Figure 1 is a perspective view of a seat of a hopper or bowl, the same being provided with a hinged lid, Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan of the seat, Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line -50 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a filler block used in connection with the seat, Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line y'y of Fig. 2, illustrating a filler block in position, Fig. 6 is Specification of Letters Patent.

1906. Serial No. 310,571.

Patented April 2a, 1908.

I a plan of a section of the seat equipped with my improved binding element.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated a conventional form of hopper or bowl seat 1, which is preferably constructed of wood and is provided with a smooth and polished surface. The seat is provided with hinged members 2 and 3 carrying a lid 4 adapted to close the central oval opening 5 of the seat 1, the hinged members and said lid also being of a conventional form.

My invention resides in roviding the outer edges of the seat 1 witii a peri heral groove 6, of considerable depth, whi e the rear edge of the seat is cut away as at 7, the cut away material being used as a filler block 8. In the peripheral groove 6 is placed a wire or rod 9 the one end of which is provided with right hand screw threads 10, while the op osite end is rovided with left hand screw tlireads 11. T he iece of wire or rod 9 is made of such a lengt that its ends will extend into the cut away portion 7 of the seat, where they are connected together by a turn buckle 12. After the rod or wire 9 has been drawn taut within the groove 6, to compress the material from which the seat is formed, the groove 6 is filled with putty '14, or similar material, whereby the wire or rod will be exposed and invisible, the edges of the seat having an a pearance, when finished, as if the roove 6 had not been formed. The filler bI ock 8 is recessed as at 15, whereby it may be fitted or replaced within the cut away portion 7 of the seat, and secured therein by glue or similar means, to render the turn buckle 12 invisible and unex osed. The recess 15 of the filler block 8 is a apted to accommodate the turn buckle 12 and when the entire seat has been ainted and provided with a highly polishe surface, it will be impossible to detect any part of the wire 9 or turn buckle 12, or that the filler block 8 had been separated from the seat 1.

In Fig 6 of the drawings, I have illustrated a seat 17 as consistin of a plurality of sec tions 18, said sections eing secured together by a rod or wire 19, and a turn buckle 20 similar to the seat 1. When a tight joint is formed between the sections 18 of the seat 16 and the seat painted and finished, it will be impossible to detect that the seat is made of a p urality of sections or pieces.

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have devised novel means for preventing a seat from splitting or cracking, also novel means for re airing a seat that has been cracked, or sp it.

I do not care to confine myself to the type of seat in. connection with which the wire or rod and turn buckle are used, and such changes, as are permissible by the appended claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 2- 1'. In combination with a hopper or bowl seat, said seat having a peripheral groove formed therein, the rear edge of said seat having a cut out portion extending inwardly from the periphery of the seat to form a filler block, said filler block having a recess formed therein and extending in the opposite direction from the peripheral groove, a wire mounted in said groove and having its ends 'adjustably connected together within the recess of the filler block of said seat, the groove in said seat extending in a direction at right angles to the axis of the seat and being of a depth greater than the depth of the wire extending therein,- means to secure said filler block in said out out portion of said seat, and means to close the groove in said seat, substantially as described.

A reinforced seat comprising a seat portion having a cut out portion at a predetermined point in the periphery thereof, a peripheral groove formed in said seat, said groove extending inwardly in a direction at right angles to the axis of the seat, the cut out portion of the seat being of greater depth than the depth of the groove, 3; filler block fitting within said out out portion, said block having a recess extending from the unexposed edges thereof and locatedon a plane corresponding with that of the groove of the seat, and a reinforcing wire adj ustably mounted within said groove and the recess, said. groove being. of greater depth than the thickness of the reinforcing wire.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK H. CULLEN.

Witnesses:

E. E. POTTER, W H. C. EVERT. 

